Our fence is barely standing, and the next decent wind gust will likely topple it over.
We're 1.5-blocks from the beach, so it's humid, wet, and sandy. The fence is probably 10-12 years old, about 40'-long(including gate), and our main concern is privacy.
Ideally I think we'd like a concrete block fence, but I expect with a footing, materials, labor & someone painting it we'd be at least $4-$5k?
Replacing it with another wood fence seems kinda dumb, given our location, and I've read that chain-link can be cheaper - although idk if that's true once you factor in the privacy slats?
I still need to search for a decent local contractor, but I'd like to get the hive's input so I'll at least have a clue if they're telling me the truth.
Any suggestions/thoughts/or estimate on costs?
I would expect vinyl to fall somewhere between chain link and block, but I haven't looked at recent pricing.
I know I paid $150/section for three sections of 6x8 cedar stockade to replace the sections my neighbors tree damaged, so wood fencing is not necessarily budget friendly
What type of wood is the current fence? Maybe change the type of wood to improve longevity?
I wood do would as it has a more natural feel to it. I have a cedar fence and might get 15-18 years out if it?
Guy next door has the white PVC that is going to last forever but it's obnoxious. In drought years the sun reflects off his white fence and burns a consistent strip of my unwatered grass (it comes back so I don't care)
Go wood!
Wood. Concrete will make the space hotter and won't absorb humidity like wood will.
Concrete block is sort of prison-y. The buildup of earth and vegetation along the base of your existing fence has probably contributed to its short lifespan.
If i was flipping that home. Lots of bleach, a few boxes of screws to tighten it up. Then paint or white-wash. Then take a saw and make the top a clean edge again.
If the posts are stable. YMMV
I have plastic and except for being sunk into shifty clay it's worked well. My son put some up (he has oak trees) and when a branch decides to fall from the sky it will poke a hole in your $100+/panel fence as soon as hit the ground. Because you're near the beach, I would stay with the "beachy" feel of wood.
Have you tried pressure washing the fence or using some Liken-Moss killing spray you connect to a hose?
I also would replace the wood with like. However, instead of wood posts, use the same ones they do for chain link - galvanized posts set in concrete. Dig the hole set the post, pour in a bag of quickcrete, spray a little water from the hose and you're done. They'll last longer that you will live and give a solid place to mount the stringers and verticals. I built mine with screws, so if some pickets got damaged I can easily replace them.
The hardware and all the bits you need to do this are available at your local big box home store, or your favorite fencing contractor's supplier.
Also, if you're not going to do redwood panels (probably only west coast available), at least coat the wood occasionally with something made for your climate.
stuart in mn said:
Concrete block is sort of prison-y. The buildup of earth and vegetation along the base of your existing fence has probably contributed to its short lifespan.
We nicknamed our house the "Biloxi Bunker" and since we both were apparently cave-dwellers we actually like that feel.
We have a PVC picket fence in the front yard & absolutely hate it. Slats are frequently falling off & apparently the UV turns it brittle, because it will often crack if you bump into it slightly. It's newer than this section of wood fence too.
I had a side fence that had a low spot and water rotted out the post.
It was a short fence and I didn't want to reinvent the wheel so I replaced it with a steel factory black chain link fence post and special brackets designed for wooden fences.
For new 4x4 post construction use these for below grade protection. They keep the post away from the wet dirt and allow the post to dry out after getting wet from rain, sprinklers, ... : HomeDepot.com: 4 in. x 4 in. x 30 in. In-Ground HDPE Fence Post Decay Protection
STM317
PowerDork
9/3/24 8:47 a.m.
If you'll be in this house long term, I'd do block. It will hold up the best long term. You can paint fun murals on it, or add breeze blocks strategically to avoid the prison look:
They make tons of different artificial plant screens now too that could be used creatively to bring some life back and make the space less sterile:
STM317 said:
....
They make tons of different artificial plant screens now too that could be used creatively to bring some life back and make the space less sterile:
That's a creative suggestion. I like it!
Indy - Guy said:
STM317 said:
....
They make tons of different artificial plant screens now too that could be used creatively to bring some life back and make the space less sterile:
That's a creative suggestion. I like it!
Oh the kudzu will do that anyway if I let it!
I didn't realize breezeway blocks were still available, I'd been watching for any salvaged ones on marketplace, but I still think that block will likely be too expensive for us.
Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
Wood. Concrete will make the space hotter and won't absorb humidity like wood will.
Actually, concrete that isn't sealed is incredibly hydroscopic, it's almost a sponge
Although prices are very region dependent, block is gonna be the most expensive option by a lot. Especially so if done right.
As a concrete guy it hurts me to say this but, id do a wood fence
Not sure if this is available in your area, but we did a 'post on pipe' for the parts that are below grade for my garden/fence. So the top part out of the ground is a standard 4x4 post, but is black pipe for the part that goes in the ground (set in concrete in this case for stability). You can see a little bit of the posts in the first picture, just where the post meets the ground. It wasn't the least expensive option, but I was building for longevity. I also added Hog Wire to the back mostly to be able to have things planted in the garden be able to trellis it up. May not be the best for privacy in your case, but could be an option. The one I got was galvanized so should last a little longer, I didn't spring for the powder coated version. I'm in the Seattle area so while we have lots of rain, our soil is pretty good.
Some solutions from dog walk this am
footings concrete in Sonotube posts held by metal brackets attached to footing
foundation wall poured and posts attached by metal bracket
This one is a special fence timber was harvested on site and then milled on site and yes that is at least an 8 by 8 post
My parents live about a block from the beach in FL and had similar issues with wood fencing. They had a chain link fence put up on one side of the house and planted bushes along it for privacy. That was about 10 years ago and the fence is still in perfect condition lasting through a few hurricanes and now that the plants have grown in you cant even see through it.
In reply to Chris Tropea :
We have that on the opposite side of the house & I love the fact I can ignore it & let it grow. This is the most used entrance to the house though & there's only about 8' of space between the fence & the sidewalk that runs the length of the house. I do let whatever grows there do it's thing, but it's mostly just oak saplings & not much grows under the big palm tree at the corner anyway.
In reply to Antihero :
I really appreciate the professional advice!
